The aim of the project was to produce a computer simulation of visual
impairments. The project first required an understanding of visual impairments
and a familiarisation with computer graphics and graphics programming. The
impairments myopia, hyperopia, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, macular
degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, hemianopia, cataracts and colour blindness
were simulated using OpenGL. The impairments were applied to the display of a
web browser and a simple drawing program to simulate the use of a computer with
a visual impairment. The simulations of glaucoma, macular degeneration and
cataracts were evaluated and found to be useful in understanding the symptoms of
these impairments. When applied at a high severity, all three impairments were
found to have a significant and important effect on the ability to complete
tasks using a computer. Finally, it was concluded that although the simulated
impairments had a significant effect on computer use, it was difficult to
compare these effects to those experienced by sufferers of 'real' visual
impairments when using a computer.